Keyed musical instrument



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JO. ALLEY, OF NEWBURYPORT, AND H. W. POOLE, OF VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

KEYED MUSICAL INSTRULIENT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,585, dated July 3*, 1849.

T0 all whom t may concern: l Be it known that we, JOSEPH ALLEY, of Newburyport, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, and HENRY lV. POOLE, of Torcesteig county of lVoi'cestei, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful mechanism by which all the sounds required by the laws of music can be given in perfection, (as to tune,) upon keyed instruments with fixed scales, as the organs, seraphines, and other instruments of that class, and by the twelve keys to the octave only,-called the Mechanism of the Euharmonic Organ, of which a full and exact description is given in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The organ as at present constructed has been furnished with but twelve linger-keys and twelve sounds to the octave. But the laws of music require much larger number of sounds than twelve within the limits in which the organ pretends to play. Oonsequently the common organ plays nothing correct, but gives all its harmony and melody in an imperfect manner. To remedy this defect, (in its tune,) is the objectof our euharmonic organ. It is to give every chord it is intended to play not only nearer to perfection than the commen organ but absolutely perfect. To do this it will have a larger number of pipes to the octave than twelve, while this increased number of pipes and valves will be operated by the common keyboard in the usual manner. Consequently one linger key will have to operate at different times on different valves and pipes.

The wind-chests are furnished with a sufcient number of valves and pipes to form any number of perfect diatonic scales, which it may be judged desirable to have introduced into the proposed instrument, and. which are ascertained by the rules of music. The notes which compose the major diatonic scale are in their vibrations as these numbers, viz: 24, e7, so, se, s6, i0, i5, is. To

form other scales, or scales whose key-notes differ in pitch from each other it will be necessary to take a series of key notes, con-v nected together by a series of perfect fifths; and to these keynotes the remaining notes of the scales must bear the same relation as do the numbers given in the scale above to its key note 24. The five keys which in each scale are not wanted to play the seven notes of the diatonic scale, may be used to play five notes which occur as accidentals; and

the twelve finger keys may give notes whose vibrations are as follows: 24, 26%, 27, 282e, so, 3e, s se, 37.1-, 4o, i2, l5, [48]. The number of scales and of course of pipes which may be introduced is without limit. Next pedals are provided equal in number to the number of scales or keys to be played in. Each of these pedals when pressed will select out of thevalves those wanted in a certain scale to which it is devoted, and attach them to the finger keys. At the same time it will draw up any other pedal which might be down at the time and detach from the keys all those valves which are not wanted in the required scale.

To explain the operation of one finger-key upon different valves, by moving different pedals, we give a description and drawings of, one method by which one linger key, A of the common key board. can operate upon either of the valves AlSt or A2M.

Figure l, represents a view of the work from the back, Fig. 2 a side view, and Fig. 3, ay perspective.

The letters of reference are the saine in each.

The tracker c is moved by the lfinger key A in the usual manner, and is fastened to a piece Z movable on a hinge at its end. From this last extend to the valves Alst and AQnd the two divided trackers cd, cd. Tere each of these in one piece the two valves would open whenever the tracker e was drawn down. But they are divided at ab, and the lowerl part cbnrcan only be connected with the upper part ad, by the aid of what is called the connector, consisting of two levers ag, of, riveted together at m. The end g is hung on a wire in the bar. The bar part of the tracker be, is fastened to one lever at Z), and the upper part to the other lever at a. The end f being free and movable there is as yet no connection between the divided trackers. The only effect produced by drawing down the tracker c is, that it will cause the lever bf to move upon its pivot, the end f rising as the other end ZJ is drawn down. But should the end f by any means be held down so that it could not rise, the lever bf will act upon the lever ag so that it will draw down the tracker ad and open the valve. it remains to have this end f secured so that it cannot rise, at the time when it is required to have the key act upon the valve. This is accomplished by means of pieces of wood extending Linder all the connectors, and called selectors. Two of these R, R, or those belonging to the scales of h (natural) and la (one sharp) are shown. rlhey move on hinges and are drawn down at will by pedal action. From the connector of AlSt is fastened a cord by Which it is attached to the t; selector. N 0W if the l; selector be drawn down and the linger key be pressed also, the Alst valve will open, and the A211 will not. But the connector of the A2 valve is in like inanner joined to the l# selector by another line, so that if this be drawn down instead of the h one, A2nd will open instead of Alst. `When a pedal and selector is not down these lines will be slack as at z', permitting the ends f of the connectors to rise without opening the valves. Ne have eX- plained the operation of two notes to one linger key and of two selectors only. But the number of valves to be played by the same key and the number of selectors and pedals may be increased at pleasure, the operation being` the same as in the example given. Also, it may be stated, that there will be cords equal in number to the finger keys, which cords will be extended from each selector to those connectors which belong to the valves required in the scale to which the selector belongs.

As but one pedal and selector is to be down at once, the act of putting down a pedal will always draw up whatever one might be down at the time. In Fig. et, are shown three pedals, or those belongingto the scales of tft, iq, and 1b, the El ped being down. A cord ccc is passed about the fixed pulleys da, and the movable ones ZJZJ which last are attached to the pedals ppp. The ends of the cord are attached to hooks at dd. Now if any other pedal than this t; one be pressed, it must draw it up. And as the selectors were fastened to these pedals, they will rise and slacken their strings as at z' whenever the pedals rise.

The main principle embraced in our invention consists in this: that a whole set of valves one to each finger key may be at tached to the keys at once by one pedal and selector, and that there may be brought on by the same selector any desired combination of the valves contained in the organ. All of this is new, and was first invented and adopted by us.

To illustrate still further the operation of these selectors, the following table is given. It is supposed that an organ is constructed according to the scale given in the former part of this paper. The upper line shows thetwelve finger-keys of the common key board marked by the naines they are usually known by. The second line gives the names of the sounds which would be given by these keys with the H pedal down. rlhe third, fourth, and fifth lines show the sounds which these(l saine keys would give with the lit, 4%, and 5b pedals respectively. The larger letters indicate the seven notes of each diatonic scale, and the smaller denote the iive notes mentioned before which are brought on as accidentals. The figures attached to the letters are to distinguish different notes, which are usually represented in written music by the same letter.

lVhat we claim as our invention' and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. T he selectors 7c, cords t, z', and connectors ag bf, combined with the valves and` the finger keys of the common key-*board substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

2. rl"he so combining 'a system of pedals, equal in number to the number of .keys or scales to be played in, with the mechanism by which each finger key is connected with the valve and pipe of the desired scale, that on putting down the pedal belonging to any scale, it shall at once attach to the linger keys usually employed in playing that scale upon the common organ, the valves of the pipes truly belonging to it, the scale, and at the same time raise the pedal that was before down, and detach the valves which are not wanted.

3. The pedals p combined with the pulleys ca and bb, and with the selectors in the manner and for the purpose set fort-h.

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names the twenty iirst day of April, eighteen hundred and forty nine.

JOSEPH ALLEY. HENRY lV. POOLE.

In presence of- VILLMM M. PEARSON, OLIVER SPALDING. 

